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Whether on a roadside, rest area, park, or lawn, turfgrass
diseases can significantly damage turf in the Midwest. As governmental agencies
continue to regulate inputs on turfgrass, it is important for managers to know
how to meet new turfgrass management challenges—especially concerning diseases.

An online course from the University of Minnesota’s College
of Continuing Education gives turfgrass managers the expertise necessary for
controlling diseases in this challenging environment. The curriculum was
created under the guidance of Associate Professor Eric Watkins of the
Department of Horticultural Science. He also serves as the course’s content
advisor.

The course prepares students to diagnose Upper Midwest
turfgrass diseases and then determine control measures using both cultural and
chemical methods. It is presented in Moodle, an e-learning platform that uses a
number of interactive instructional tools. Cost is $75, and 12 professional
development hours (PDHs) may be earned.

New this spring, the course counts as one elective credit in
the Minnesota Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) Roads Scholar program.
(Minnesota LTAP is a program within CTS.) Aimed at maintenance personnel, the
Roads Scholar Program combines a range of training options into a structured
curriculum. Graduates earn a valuable professional development credential.

The new Roadway Safety Institute, a $10.4 million regional
University Transportation Center (UTC) established in late 2013, will conduct a
range of research, education, and technology transfer initiatives related to
transportation safety. Led by the University of Minnesota, the two-year
consortium will develop and implement user-centered safety solutions across
multiple modes.

The Institute will be a focal point for safety-related work
in the region, which includes Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and
Wisconsin. Other consortium members are the University of Akron, University of
Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, and
Western Michigan University.

Max Donath, professor of mechanical engineering at the U of
M, serves as the new Institute’s director. In this month’s Catalyst, Donath shared his vision for theInstitute.

According to Donath, the Institute will focus on addressing
regional traffic safety priorities, educating the public, and attracting
more professionals to the safety workforce by connecting with students.

Research topics will focus on two key areas, Donath said: high-risk road users and traffic safety system approaches. The goal of this work is to prevent the crashes that lead to fatalities and injuries on the region's roads.

One unique Institute effort will involve working with American Indian communities in the region to explore and address the unusually high number of motor vehicle crash fatalities on tribal lands. "Our research will work to better understand why this is happening and to develop more effective solutions," Donath said.

The
“gray tsunami”—the tidal wave of aging baby boomers—could mean big
changes in the workplace. Organizations need to be thinking about
grooming their younger employees to become effective supervisors and
fill the shoes of retiring boomers.

The Minnesota Local Technical
Assistance Program (LTAP) partnered with Hennepin Technical College
(HTC) this fall to help local transportation agencies meet this critical
workforce development need. They offered a one-day workshop—“From Line
to Leadership: Transitioning from Operations to Supervision”—in October
in St. Cloud and Rochester.

The workshop is tailored for new
supervisors and those thinking of taking their career to the next level,
as well as for current supervisors who want to enhance their leadership
skills, communication, and effectiveness. It focuses on avoiding common
pitfalls and identifying ways to make the most of a leadership role.

“Our
industry partners said they wanted this training because they are
anticipating a skills gap and a leadership gap, and they didn’t have a
way to effectively move people from operations to team leader,” says
Mike Colestock, HTC’s associate dean.

HTC developed the initial
version of the workshop in collaboration with industry partners, and it
has expanded the program in response to overwhelmingly positive
feedback. The trigger to offer a version through Minnesota LTAP came in part from
the Minnesota LTAP Steering Committee.

“When many highway/street/public
works departments need a new supervisor, they look to promote their
existing employees since those employees know the facilities, the
equipment, the mission of the organization—they know the ropes,” says
Greg Isakson, county engineer of Goodhue County and a member of the
committee. “Unfortunately, the skills to operate a machine do not
relate to supervising others. The operator with the best potential to
become a supervisor may not possess the set of new skills required to
become a successful supervisor," he says. "This class was designed to fill that
gap and provide those basic supervisory skills."

Participants in the 2013 Summer Transportation Internship Program gained
valuable experience in the transportation industry and received a
behind-the-scenes glimpse of the Minnesota Department
of Transportation (MnDOT).

Six student interns participated in 10-week internships at a variety
of MnDOT offices, including Materials, Human Resources, Environmental Stewardship, and Metro Maintenance. The program was offered in partnership by CTS, Howard
University, and MnDOT.

Students' favorite aspects of the internships included working with and
learning from MnDOT staff, seeing research put into practice, and
getting hands-on experience. Several students also used complex testing equipment, created project reports, and gave professional presentations for the first time as part of the program.

“This internship was a great stepping stone for me to be more
prepared to face the world as an engineer in the future,” said Sharon
Wong, who worked with Bernard Izevbekhai, MnDOT research operations
engineer. Wong and her fellow intern Joseph Casanova participated in
test cell construction instrumentation and monitoring at the MnROAD
pavement research facility.

Izevbekhai, Wong’s supervisor, agreed that the internship program helps
students prepare to join the workforce. “It creates an opportunity for
interns to experience engineering practice in the real world of
competing priorities and approaching deadlines. It’s a friendly
environment for classroom-acquired skills to be refreshed, rekindled, or
developed,” he said.

As students head back to school and CTS staff reflect on the second successful year of our Summer Transportation Internship Program with the Minnesota Department of Transportation and Howard University, we'd like your thoughts on what helped you learn the skills you needed early in your career.

What jobs or internships helped you get started in your career? Join the conversation by signing in and commenting below.

This year's Summer Transportation Internship Program came to an end in August after another successful year. The program, which began in 2012, continued this year with a strong partnership between the Center for Transportation Studies, the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT), and Howard University, located in Washington, D.C.

This year, as the internship program coordinator, I had the opportunity to engage with six undergraduate students who were selected for the program from a candidate pool of 28 applicants. Students were selected from three institutions: the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, the University of Minnesota Duluth, and Howard University. Students were placed in various MnDOT locations, including the Office of Materials Services, Office of Environmental Stewardship, Metro Maintenance, and the Office of Human Resources.

In 2013, the program increased from 8 to 10 weeks. This was a great decision, because adding an additional two weeks to the program gave students the opportunity to learn more about MnDOT and to build stronger relationships with their MnDOT supervisors and colleagues.

Each student came into the program with different experiences and interests. The one thing that really struck a chord with me was how dedicated the students were to the work they were given. In each of my discussions with the students, they expressed great satisfaction in being able to learn about the inner workings of MnDOT and about how MnDOT provides a service to the people of Minnesota.

All six students had great experiences, but I wanted to note a few examples of the program’s success.

In a final wrap-up meeting with the students and MnDOT Commissioner Charlie Zelle, one student noted that a relative of hers didn't have a high opinion of MnDOT. The student explained that she was able to sit down with her relative and explain MnDOT’s vision and role in the state of Minnesota. Since that discussion, the student’s relative has more appreciation for MnDOT’s work and service to Minnesota. It was wonderful to see the transfer of knowledge from a student to another person.

The Howard University student—originally from Belém, Brazil, and currently a senior in civil engineering—came to Minnesota with a passion for engineering. She had the opportunity to work in the MnDOT Metro Maintenance Bridge Inspection Unit. Her internship experience included accompanying other bridge inspectors to inspect bridges and culverts for damage or cracking. This required her to be lifted high in the air in a bucket and to crawl through tight spaces in the bridge or culverts to get to the damaged areas. She always said “yes” with a smile on her face and really enjoyed the experience.

Thanks to the Summer Transportation Internship Program, I am proud to say that MnDOT now has six potential hires for the future MnDOT workforce.